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From: mj@husky.uucp (Mark A. Johnson)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: C14
Message-ID: <173@husky.uucp>
Date: Tue, 30-Jul-85 09:32:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: husky.173
Posted: Tue Jul 30 09:32:56 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Aug-85 00:24:01 EDT
References: <320@utastro.UUCP> <713@lsuc.UUCP> <169@polaris.UUCP>
Organization: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY
Lines: 21


	The reference to solar activity's role in the formation of 
	atmospheric C14 got me thinking about something I've been 
	wondering about for a couple of years now.  Where do the
	scientists who use radiocarbon dating get their correlation 
	between C14 concentrations in the organic material under study
	and the amount of time that has passed since the creature (or
	whatever) died?  My understanding is that the C12/C14 ratio in
	an organism approached zero asymptotically with passing time
	(e^-at) following the creature's death, since C14 is no longer
	being moved through the living organism.  Where does the initial
	atmospheric C14 concentratio data come from?  Simply assuming
	that C14 concentration is constant since the beginning of time
	seems questionable to me, at best.  How 'bout it, folks?


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Mark A. Johnson   --   Eastman Kodak Company  --   Information Products
UUCP:...allegra!rochester!ritcv!husky!mj W:(716) 726-9953   H:(716) 227-2356
                       (The Name Says It All)
"Lived here all your life?"      "Not yet."